Our previous exchanges seem to have disappeared. Just to say I did ask my partner (A) what he was singing about - he replied 'you don't want to know' - probably self-explanatory - HB from Diyarbakır (what is known as the Kurdish capital of Turkey) after all. Anyway - politics apart - he is one beautiful electronic saz musician - the emotion of his singing tugs at my heartstrings.

A & the lads at his base listen to this kind of stuff a lot in their spare time - music and culture of the greatest importance to them.

Yep, I like what I've heard of Hozan's. Almost bought his Cd which I spotted doing a trawl down Green Lanes (Little Istanbul) in London a week or two ago. But it was a non-legit burn of his album, so I resisted for the time being. So his lyrics are political but metaphorical to escape the authorities, or maybe he's based elsewhere eg in Germany ? Bet he does plenty of love songs too - can't believe soldiers just want politics.

Thanks to you Chris (you always bring a :) to my face here in Izmir). Felt quite homesick for London on reading your reply (eg Green Lanes) - don't think HB is an ex-pat (have seen vids of him singing live in Turku Evleri (sort of folk-singing venues) in Urfa (even further East - quite wonderful - visited twice luckily, rather Arabic and immense Biblical history etc).

Hozan by the way I believe is derived in Kurdish from Ozan (Turkish word for poet if I'm not mistaken) - there are a lot of them, also Koma - but I haven't worked that one out yet (could it be comrade?!)

Regards. I'm learning a whole lot more about music generally from you all (and the listeners/participants) in Charlie's shows.

I happened to be in the non-leafy Green Lanes at the same time as Chris and we explored several Turkish music shops after passing the late lamented Trehantiri. I was looking for several recent Kalan releases but without success. Green Lanes cannot really be compared to Unkapani, that concrete shrine for Levantine music lovers. Anyway, I too will be looking forward to your dispatches from Izmir, Pauline. It's a two-way process exploring autochthonous Anatolian music.
(By the way, I hope A has not been called upon to do anything nasty to his fellow Kurds in the East).